Albania’s export sector is showing modest growth in 2025, largely thanks to crude oil. According to the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), the country exported goods worth €2.64 billion in the first eight months of the year, a 3.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
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| An oil well in Albania with its equipment in Soth Albania |
Which Sectors Are Growing?
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Crude oil, fuels & energy: +10% (€757M in 2025 vs €502M in 2024)
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Machinery and spare parts: +1.5% (€260M in 2025 vs €246M in 2024)
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Food, beverages & agriculture: +1.1% (€380M in 2025 vs €350M in 2024)
Meanwhile, several sectors remain under pressure:
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Textiles and footwear dropped from €701M to €694M.
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Construction materials & metals fell sharply from €473M to €310M.
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Plastics and related products also saw declines.
Challenges for Albanian Exports
Businesses cite multiple factors dragging exports down:
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Currency depreciation affecting competitiveness.
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Falling international commodity prices.
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Global trade tensions slowing demand.
Albania’s Key Trade Partners
Exports grew significantly towards:
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Kosovo: +75% compared to 2024.
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Greece: +10.4%.
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Germany: +6%.
Import Trends
While exports grew, imports fell by 2.1%, totaling €5.8 billion in Jan–Aug 2025.
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Energy imports increased by 18.9%, reaching €640M, due to drought-related shortages in domestic power generation.
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Food & beverages imports slightly rose to €1.07B.
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Machinery imports decreased from €1.58B to €1.48B.
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Construction materials dropped to €764M from €834M.
Top import partners remain China, Greece, and Spain.
Conclusion
Albania’s crude oil exports are the main pillar sustaining overall trade performance in 2025. However, the continued decline in textiles, footwear, and construction materials signals structural weaknesses. Unless new drivers of growth are developed, the economy’s reliance on raw energy exports may leave it vulnerable to external shocks.